Brian's Last Goodbye
by theconsultingtimelady
Summary: Inspired by a Whovian confession I found on Tumblr. The show never wrapped up Brian's story, never went back to tell him what happened to his son. The Doctor visits Brian one last time.


Brian Williams sat in the middle of his son's living room, sorting through the mail. He'd mowed the lawn, vacuumed the entire house from top to bottom, painted the fence and reorganized all of their books into alphabetical order. He was having trouble thinking of more things to do.

Ever since his wife had died, Brian had always been happier at Rory's house. It wasn't empty, like his own. His house was too quiet. He enjoyed being in Rory's house. He loved his daughter-in-law, Amy, who was always willing to chat with him. He had fun annoying his son and embarrassing him by telling Amy stories about Rory's childhood. When he was with them, he felt needed.

Suddenly, a familiar noise rang out through the house. The mail fell from Brian's hands and onto the floor as he dashed towards the half-appeared TARDIS in the middle of the room. He had missed Amy and Rory. And the Doctor, of course.

The TARDIS finished materializing and Brian stood outside the blue doors, waiting expectantly. He waited for a minute, growing impatient. Finally, he pushed the TARDIS doors open and went in himself.

"Rory!" he called out. His voice seemed to echo. "Amy!" No answer. "Doctor! Where are you all?"

Brian rounded the console and finally found the Doctor, sitting on the steps of the TARDIS, head in his hands. And in that moment he knew.

"What happened?" Brian asked, his voice shaking. The Doctor finally looked up to acknowledge him.

"Brian, I'm sorry," he said, tears glistening in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Brian. I tried to bring them back, I tried, I wanted so badly…but I couldn't. I'm sorry." The Time Lord's pain was etched clearly into his face, the hurt at losing two of his best friends apparent in his thousand-year-old eyes. So Brian did something that his wife used to do for him when he was upset. He made the Doctor tea.

"Thank you, Brian," the Doctor murmured as he accepted the steaming cup. His hands shook a little as he took it, Brian's steady as always. They both sat in silence, sipping quietly.

"They were together," the Doctor said, his voice almost a whisper. "They lived out their days together, so I guess that's all right."

"What do you mean?" Brian asked.

And so the Doctor explained, about the Angels and Amy's choice, her final choice that had created fixed time, time that even he couldn't rewrite.

"Well then that's okay," Brian said, as the Doctor finished his tale. "They lived a long life together. That's all that matters."

The Doctor simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The two men sat together in for a while longer, not speaking.

"Can you take me there?" Brian asked finally. The Doctor looked at him curiously.

"Where?"

"The grave. Just so I can say…goodbye."

The Doctor stared silently at Brian. His eyes softened and he nodded quietly, standing up to flip some buttons on the console. This time, he used the flight stabilizers, like River had told him to.

They landed smoothly and the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS first. Brian followed somberly. The grave was older now, weathered and beaten, with weeds winding over the headstone. The inscription was still visible.

_In Loving Memory_

_Rory Arthur Williams_

_Aged 82_

_And His Loving Wife_

_Amelia Williams_

_Aged 87_

Brian knelt before the gravestone and the Doctor saw a tear slip down the man's face. He turned, giving the father a last minute of privacy with his son and daughter-in-law.

In the distance, he saw the Angel that had taken Rory and Amy from him and bit back the strong urge to go up to it and hack at it. He looked back and saw that Brian had taken out his trovel and was digging at the weeds, clearing the grave and making it presentable again. He smiled to himself and turned back to face the Angel. It had come closer, only a few meters. It was probably starved for temporal energy, even weaker then the last time he saw it.

"Brian," he called and the man looked over his shoulder, tear tracks clear on his face. "I'm so sorry, I don't want to rush you, but the Angel is coming back."

Brian stood straight up at that, turning his back on the grave and coming to stand beside the Doctor. The Angel had moved a little more, this time a greater distance.

"You say that you can't go to them?" he asked, his eyes staying on the Angel. "You can't take me back?"

"No Brian," the Doctor replied sadly. "I can't."

"And the Angel sent Amy back to the same time, am I right?" Brian asked, this time turning to face the Doctor. The Doctor sighed, knowing where Brian was headed.

"I don't know," he said truthfully, his gaze finally leaving the Angel. "It could send you back a millennia, it could send you back to them. I couldn't tell you."

They turned back to face the Angel again, which was now a few paces away from them.

"You've made your mind," the Doctor said, his voice resigned.

"I have," Brian said resolutely. "If you'd look away…"

The Doctor complied and after a few seconds, he looked back. Brian was gone.

He turned to look back at the Ponds' gravestone. Now, another headstone stood beside it, slightly smaller. It read:

_Loving Father,_

_Brian Williams_

_Aged 86_

The Doctor smiled to himself. Keeping the Angel in the corner of his eye, he knelt to the stone, brushing away at the weeds that were overtaking it. As his fingers brushed the bottom of the grave, he felt more indentations in the stone. He swept the grass away and read Brian's last words to him.

_Thank You Doctor_

* * *

Here's the beautiful confession that made me wonder: image/41205867212

Thank you to whoever made that. So, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
